Nearly 50 percent of employees in the education and food industries quit their jobs within three years of graduating from university, according to a government survey.

The survey compiled by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry presented turnover rates for the first time by industry amid growing concerns about young people leaving their jobs within a short period.

According to the survey released Wednesday, 429,019 students got a job just after graduating from college in March 2009. Among them, 123,582, or 28.8 percent, quit their jobs within three years.

Meanwhile, firms in the electric utility and gas industries had lower than 10 percent turnover.

By industry, those working at education companies, including teachers at cram schools and private schools, scored the highest turnover rate of 48.8 percent, while those in the hospitality, restaurant and service industries had 48.5 percent turnover.

On the other hand, turnover was as low as at 6.1 percent for the mining and quarrying industries. Employee turnover at power, gas and water supply firms was 7.4 percent, and 15.6 percent for manufacturers.

"We'd like companies to use the industry data to think about ways to improve their working environment," an official of the ministry said.